CARL LEONARD WIGGINS

Carl Wiggins

Carl Leonard Wiggins, 86, of Rushville died at 5:40 p.m. Jan. 21, 2021, at the home of his son in Morton.

He was born May 2, 1934, in Rushville, a son of Lee Russell and Jessie Alma Prunty Wiggins. He married Carolyn Sue Krans on Aug. 24, 1958, in Galva. She survives.

Also surviving are one daughter, Sarah Wiggins of Atlanta, Ga.; two sons, David (and Peggy) Wiggins of Morton and Brad (and Lolita) Wiggins of Carlock; one sister, Carlene (and James) Terwilliger of Colorado Springs, Colo.; one brother, Stephen (and LeAnn) Wiggins of Pensacola, Fla.; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by one daughter, Diane Renee Wiggins.

After graduating from high school and while working for Bartlow Brothers in Rushville, he was drafted by the Army and served in Korea.

He attended the University of Illinois in Champaign, where he earned a Bachelors Degree in Accounting in three years. The family then returned to Rushville and Bartlow Brothers, where he began working as an accountant. A few years later, while taking classes at night to further his skills, he founded his own computer service company, Western Illinois Data Corporation (WIDCO),  which he led for the next 25 years, engaging organizations of all types to help them improve operations.

In his early 50s, he had a powerful encounter with Jesus Christ at a Walk to Emmaus Retreat. As he continued leading WIDCO, he served in Explorers Bible studies, Walk to Emmaus, Chrysalis and Cursillo Walks in the region. He returned to college at Lincoln Christian and, at what he considered the young age of 67, received his Master of Divinity. He was a pastor at Bethany Church near Camden, Church of Christ in Rushville and Sangamon Valley Presbyterian Church near Chandlerville. He often officiated at weddings, funerals, hospitals and nursing homes, with his wife Carolyn adding music ministry. He continued in Walk to Emmaus many times as spiritual director, and was employed as a trainer for Emmaus Communities across the Midwest. He was on the first Emmaus team that served in Hong Kong, where he and Carolyn returned several times. The deepest calling in his rich ministerial life, though, was working as hospice chaplain at Cass-Schuyler Area Hospice.

A formal funeral/Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Worthington Funeral Home in Rushville is in charge of arrangements.

Memorials may be made to Cass-Schuyler Area Hospice, 331 S. Main St., Virginia, IL 62691.

Condolences may be sent to www.worthingtonfh.com.

Published in the Astoria South Fulton Argus on 1/27/2021